


Flower Crowns

by inexprymable



Category: The Worst Witch (TV 2017)
Genre: But not exactly, F/F, Lesbianism, Pagan Rituals, Paganism, Summer Solstice, Witches, actual magic, kinda fake dating au?, love in the air, mating rituals???, slavic rituals, this is not what you're expecting I assure you, ursula hallowism, wianki
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-10-16 21:30:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17553554
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inexprymable/pseuds/inexprymable
Summary: “As an attendant, one should show up with a partner.""You’re my best friend, Hecate, and I wouldn’t dream of asking anyone else to come with me.”...The Cackle's Academy is hosting annual Summer Solstice celebrations and the Mistress of the ceremony absolutely cannot show up on her own. Magic happens.





	Flower Crowns

**Author's Note:**

> I am aware what time of year we have now in the Northern Hemisphere, hopefully it can bring some warmth to those with mountains of snow on the other side of the window.
> 
> Massive thanks to my wonderful beta @thosetigerseyes - you're irreplaceable.

The annual celebration of Summer Solstice was due to take place on the grounds of Cackle’s Academy. The wood had already been collected for ceremonial fires, the feast had been prepared but there was something that couldn’t give Ada Cackle peace of mind. She looked around, making sure none of the participants had arrived and went on a hunt for no other than Hecate Hardbroom. It wasn’t a surprise for Ada, when she found Miss Hardbroom sitting alone in the staff room, as everyone else was getting ready for the ceremony.

She made sure the door creaked as she pushed it open, not wishing to startle her friend. She noticed Hecate’s posture straightening, as the woman felt her presence in the room. Ada took slow steps towards the armchairs sat by the unlit fireplace, giving Hecate an additional moment to compose herself.

“Hecate, are you not going to attend the ceremony?” Ada asked. Hecate was still wearing her everyday dress, which looked more than elegant, but it was hardly an outfit for the holiday of Light. Ada frowned, worried that she would be left alone until the very end of the ceremony, as selfish as it was.

Hecate looked up at her, immediately noticing Ada’s frown and wanting desperately to kiss it away. She curled her palms into fists, her sharp nails helped her to shake out of the inappropriate thought. If the ceremony had been taking place anywhere else, Hecate would have a good enough reason not to attend. She would claim someone would have to stay at the school. No one else would be so willing to miss one of the most important holidays of the year. However, this time she couldn’t say no.

“Of course I am. You are the headmistress of this academy and I am your deputy. We have to open the ceremony together.” Her response made Ada smile. She knew just how loyal Hecate was and she appreciated it greatly. Her smile was starting to broaden, when she noticed Hecate sulking.

“You don’t sound too enthusiastic about it. What’s the matter?” She asked with a face full of concern. She lowered herself to a half-kneel in front of Hecate, to be able to look at her properly. She could see that Hecate was considering turning away from her but for some reason, she didn’t.

“As an attendant, one should show up with a partner, unless one has already lost their beloved.” She groaned. Only after saying that, she felt embarrassed about sharing this with Ada and whining.

As much as Hecate wanted to conceal her feelings, Ada could read her like a spell book. She looked up, searching Hecate’s eyes, until the younger witch looked at her. “Hecate, if you don’t want to attend, if you want to spare yourself being paired up with a stranger, then I will happily release you of your duty. Take some rest, visit your favourite part of the woods. I don’t want to pressure you into this.”

At that, Hecate looked offended. “Ada, I cannot leave you with this alone. Being the mistress of the ceremony on your own, without your deputy to assist you, I would only embarrass you in front of everyone.” Hecate said almost angrily. “You realise how much I value tradition of witchcraft. Allow me to make this… perfect for you.” As much as she loathed the word, she knew Ada needed the reassurance more than anything.

Just when Ada  had almost forgotten why she’d come looking for Hecate in the first place, she decided it would save either of them from unwanted attention and to keep the tradition as it was. “I might have the solution to your problem. Feel free to decline, but if you truly want to take part in the celebrations, maybe we could attend it as a couple?” She raised her eyebrows, waiting for the response when utter shock painted itself across Hecate’s face. Ada had to clear it up, she didn’t want to put her deputy off by saying too much. “As you said yourself, the ceremony requires for any single person to show up with a partner, and I, as the mistress of the ceremony, cannot show up alone. I will not force you to take part in all activities, but it would save us both from having to spend the night with people we hardly know, and from having to apply the changes after this night’s events to our lives. You’re my best friend, Hecate, and I wouldn’t dream of asking anyone else to come with me.”

Hecate sighed of relief. Despite her deeply hidden feelings for Ada, she was grateful that Ada wasn’t throwing her in deep water. She could pretend to be Ada’s partner, she’d been as much, as Ada’s deputy. Telling that to the others wouldn’t be a lie and they could get away from the ridiculous ways of celebrating the day of Light. She nodded softly, a motion that Ada almost missed. “Only if you think this is the best way to do this. And if you’re willing to show up with someone like me.”

Ada leaned forward, kneeling down fully, taking Hecate’s hands into her own. Her heart broke into tiny pieces as Hecate said it but it wasn’t about her. She shook her head and looked at Hecate with utmost sincerity in her eyes. “Oh Hecate, why wouldn’t I want to show up with you? You’re my dearest friend, my loyal deputy, I trust you with my life and I know you would do anything to make the school look reputable tonight. I can’t imagine a better partner.” She smiled warmly and squeezed Hecate’s hands before letting go of her. “I know it’s a lot to ask, but would you consider putting on a white dress? If not, then it’s perfectly fine. Don’t do anything if you don’t want to.”

At that, Ada stood up from the floor again and patted Hecate’s shoulder gently. She had yet to change into her own white dress and she could not be late. She didn’t think she needed the flower crown, as she’d be attending the ceremony with Hecate and as soon as she was ready, she transferred to the clearing in the forest. She was standing right next to the fire, waiting for the guests to arrive, watching as sun began to set.

The guests started to gather around the fire, saying their greetings to Ada, when someone put a hand on Ada’s shoulder. She turned around and was met with a sight so rare, she had to blink twice to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Hecate’s hair was out of its usual bun, as loose as Hecate would allow it, in a braid that reached Hecate’s waist. Her dark hair was a contrast for the long sleeved white dress that grazed her ankles. If the dress hadn’t been surprising enough, Hecate’s dark hair decorated with a flower crown certainly was. Ada smiled brightly, blinking the tears away at the beautiful witch standing before her and thought about Hecate’s doubts, wondering how someone so wonderful could ever think Ada wouldn’t want her as her companion. Ada outstretched her hand and invited Hecate into the circle that was forming.

Hecate didn’t know whether to take Ada’s hand or not. She just entered the circle, standing very close to Ada as they waited in awkward silence for everyone else to do the same. Ada and Hecate had been approached by the Grand Witch, who’d given her blessings to everyone gathered, and her son, Egbert, with his wife, passing on his own blessings. Ada took a deep breath, raising her hands towards the wood to light the fire. She wasn’t nervous, that wasn’t the case. The slight tremble in  her hands was a sign of excitement and thrill that she needed to tame. Hecate noticed it on time and slipped her hand into Ada’s right one, lacing her fingers with the mistress of the ceremony and smiled, making Ada’s excitement more intense. She smiled back, knowing just how unique it was to see Hecate smile. They didn’t notice the whispers around them as they lit up the fire together.

The fire was considerably small, reaching just below Ada’s knees, but burning with such ferocity that no one would question its power. Having welcomed everyone properly and praying to the Goddess, Ada secured the fire, with Hecate’s hand still in hers and invited everyone to celebrate with them. They finally parted as they were about to attend another festivity. So far everything had been going according to plan and Ada had no reason to worry, except for her sanity, as she was finding it difficult to stay away from Hecate.

Hecate seemed to have the same concerns, along with the new ones, such as possible rejection that was yet to come after her bold move and as much as she wanted to transfer out of the clearing, she gave Ada her word that she’d attend the ceremony with her and she wasn’t going to break it. Everyone moved away from the centre, giving the younger participants space for the dance around the fire. As entertaining as it might have been, every attendant was more interested in their partner. The holiday of Light was a spiritual experience but it was as much a matter of the soul as it was of the body.

Ada was grateful Hecate didn’t shy away from her. Had it not been for her friend Mona Spellbody, Hecate and Ada would be forced to spend more silent moments together before the next activity. Hecate politely excused herself, letting the friends talk privately. She’d only turned on her heel as she was approached by Alma Cackle. She could hardly excuse herself from this conversation and truth be told, she enjoyed having conversations with Alma. Their view on plenty of educational aspects was shared and they had mutual respect for one another. However, this time they weren’t going to talk about school policy or new textbooks.

“Well met, Hecate. I see you and Ada finally saw what was right in front of you.” The mother Cackle said with a smile, which Ada inherited from her. The dimples were giving away their affinity. If Hecate had been mid-sip of a drink, she was sure she would choke on it. Her eyes widened and her heart almost jumped out of her chest.

She raised her hand in protest and looked around, making sure no one was listening in. She lowered her voice and whispered. “Mrs. Cackle, Ada and I… We are _not…_ We had only agreed to attend this celebration together to hopefully avoid any frivolous activities to…”

She didn’t have a chance to fully explain as Alma had already known better than she had. “Whatever it is that you and Ada are going through, it’s your business. Just look how happy she looks with you. That’s all that matters. Happy Solstice, Hecate.” As quickly as Mrs. Cackle had appeared, she vanished again into the crowd, leaving Hecate with a very deep frown. She wasn’t sure what had just happened.

Just as Hecate left Ada to talk to Mona, the headmistress had been subjected to an interrogation by her friend. “So, how long has it been, Ada?” The woman’s eyebrows raised incredibly high. Ada’s eyes were as wide as Hecate’s when she’d been told the same. “You wound me. You won’t tell your old friend?” As Ada didn’t know what to say, she looked over Mona’s shoulder to find Hecate to help her. The idea of pretending to be Hecate’s partner was appearing to be more difficult than she had anticipated. She didn’t have to think hard. That simple movement of her eyes gave Mona all the answers. “Go and talk to your  mistress. She’s going to have to catch your flower crown soon anyway.”

Mona’s statement brought Ada’s attention back to her. She gulped hard, looking at Mona. “What are you talking about?” She crossed her arms and gave Mona a look of wonder. She knew Hecate wasn’t exactly interested into sports, swimming however was another thing. She’d been Hecate’s friend long enough to know the only body of water she’d enter would be a bathtub and no one, not even the Grand Witch would make her swim in the river for the sake of a centuries long worth of tradition holiday. She didn’t get to answer as Mona said her goodbyes and went to find her husband.

Ada walked up to Hecate, who had already been facing her and shared a warm smile with her. “You won’t believe what’s just happened.” Hecate raised one of her eyebrows curiously. “Mona Spellbody, of all people, believes that we’re truly a couple.” Ada said in a flat tone, with only a hint of surprise. She was still taking it in. Sheer wonder was painting on Hecate’s face as she gasped.

“I’d just had a conversation, or rather, a monologue, with your mother. She appears to believe so as well. I have tried to explain the situation, but I felt I was being ignored…” Her voice grew quiet and Ada gave her arm a reassuring squeeze. Everyone had already gathered at the river bank and they’d only been waiting for the mistress of the ceremony and her partner. Not taking her hand away, Ada transferred them both to the desired spot. She introduced the next ritual to everyone gathered and an unmarried person of each pair had set a flower crown on the water surface, with a candle lit in the middle, waiting for the mistress of the ceremony to lead them in this activity. Hecate looked nervously at Ada, as over a hundred pairs of eyes looked at them expectantly.

Leaning over to Hecate, Ada whispered. “I understand if you don’t want to partake in this particular activity, but if it’s any reassurance, I would gladly swim through the river to catch your flower crown.” She wasn’t going to mention that she’d known Hecate had never had anyone to do that for her, that it was her first Solstice with full participation and she was going to leave as many pleasant memories of the celebration as she could. She was met with a warm smile, as Hecate took the flower crown from her head and produced a candle that she attached to it, lighting the wick with as much as one glance. She leaned down, not wanting to touch the icy cold water and set her flower crown on the surface as everyone else did. She let it go, standing up straight, watching the candle floating away down the stream. Everyone cheered, letting go of their wreaths.

They waited until the candles were a certain distance away, before the other half of the pair came rushing into the water, swimming through the river to reach their beloved’s flower crown. Very few managed to catch it, with everyone else getting caught in the bulrush or worse, like Agatha Cackle’s partner for the night, who got caught by Shego, a creature born with two souls. When they die, only one of their souls can join the gods, with the other soul preying upon the living. Thankfully, the poor lass managed to escape the devil’s paws, but the flower crown had drowned, sentencing Agatha’s relationship to an inevitable end.

Ada surprised everyone by getting into the water, as everyone assumed it would be Hecate to do so, as she was not only younger than Ada, but she was also her deputy. Swimming through the river for her partner would make it a sentiment of the heart as much as a sentiment of the principle.

Surging through the water, Ada felt the chill going up her spine but she was determined to not let Hecate’s flower crown drown. Not catching it would mean there would never be anything of romantic nature between the two of them, and in the worst case scenario, Hecate could spend the lifetime with no companion. Ada didn’t believe there would be anything of such nature between them, but she didn’t want to ruin any possible chance for her best friend with anyone else. She felt a tug at her ankle and wondered if it was some plant, or if Shego decided to catch her as well, sensing her unclear intentions. Her thoughts drifted to making Hecate happy and if it wasn’t for the candle, Ada wouldn’t notice she had already caught the desired flower crown. She transferred to the river bank, shivering as she held out a burning candle in front of Hecate, dripping of cold water, with her dress clinging to her otherwise naked body.

Hecate swallowed hard, forcing herself to look up into Ada’s crystal blue eyes. She smiled happily at her, aware of how few of the participants managed to catch the flower crown. What someone else had pointed out, was that Hecate’s candle was the only one still burning. Hecate and Ada blushed at that, knowing the words of the old prophecy, that the burning candle of the flower crown caught in the river meant a deep connection between two souls, that was unable to fade or break over time. Both of them quickly dismissed it, deciding it meant their friendship would last long, denying what was in front of them.

Ada was going to turn on heel and give Hecate some space to process what had happened, when she'd noticed Hecate standing behind her with an outstretched hand. Ada felt warmth, not physical but instead she felt a warmth deep in her soul and looked into Hecate's darkened eyes, as she whispered her words of gratitude. Out of the corner of their eyes, Hecate and Ada could see a silhouette coming up closer to them and in a blink of an eye, they'd moved away. Ada crossed her arms but when she'd realised who was coming their way, she uncrossed them to be prepared for eventual defensive spells. Hecate mirrored her and took a step closer to her friend.

“I didn't believe you were an item, but now… I guess you're worth each other.” Agatha Cackle hissed as she stood right before the couple. Not only had she been jealous that Ada caught Hecate’s flower crown but her own partner failed miserably in her attempt of catching hers, increasing Agatha’s chances to lead a lonely life. Ada was still wondering what was going on in Agatha's mind but Hecate knew a blow was coming. “You're both weak and naive. How can you trust one another? But then, I won't have to spend my life with either of you. I don't need to worry about what you might be hiding in your broom closet.”

Agatha disappeared in a puff of smoke, to reappear next to the long table loaded with various dishes. She might have looked like the more composed sister with her fitted clothes and the way she carried herself but in truth, Ada's choice of comfortable clothes and her kindness were much more useful and practical. While Ada might have had a habit of snacking on cream cakes, Agatha's stress eating was far worse than Ada's slightly increased intake of sugar. On top of that, Agatha was downing the food with generous amounts of brew, which quickly made her unable to partake in any other activity.

As soon as Agatha disappeared, Hecate and Ada looked into one another’s eyes with disbelief seeping from their eyes. They didn’t know what to make of Agatha and silently processed what she’d told them, not willing to say their deep thoughts out in the open. Not only had Mona and Alma thought they had been dating, but also Agatha, who was vile and she didn’t care for the happiness of others. For either of the witches, it was a surprising development and they wished their partner wasn’t pretending to have romantic feelings for them. Their train of thought was stopped by Ursula Hallow, who jumped into the river to fish out her own flower crown which had already burned out. Her boyfriend had failed to do so. His feet got caught in bulrush, which made him easy pray for Shego. Ursula had initially planned to leave him to die but she thought it would be a waste. Who else would so willingly agree to do whatever she asked him for? Not many wizards would let a witch direct their fate, as they were too proud to admit witches were equal to them, if not superior.

Ursula had made a show of herself, but half of the attendants had already been under the influence of the brew, with the other half quickly forgetting about the incident. The display had made Hecate and Ada’s nervous tension weaken as they had burst out with laughter. They looked at one another with teary eyes. The others had already rushed towards the fire, so there was no one else but Ada, who had witnessed Hecate baring her soul. Ada put her hand on Hecate’s arm like she’d done before, and it wasn’t until then that Hecate realised Ada was still drenched. She quickly transferred them both near the fire, producing a small blanket with a drying spell woven into it, enough to wrap it around Ada’s shoulders and allow her to maintain some modesty. She’d sat down right next to her and when she noticed Ada trembling, she wrapped her arms around her without a second thought.

Ada’s shiver had soon been replaced by a warm blush and sudden wave of heat, both caused by Hecate’s rather unexpected movement. The mistress of the ceremony leaned into Hecate, savouring the moment and hoping it would last forever. Suddenly, Hecate had made the mistake of looking up and it brought her back to reality. She’d sat up straight, pulling away from Ada and praying to the Goddess her cheeks wouldn’t turn burgundy. She could hardly transfer out of there. She’d made a promise to her beloved Ada and she wouldn’t dare to break it.

However, Ada had been too far in the dreamland to worry too much. She’d known she could trust Hecate and the abruptness of Hecate’s movement had only helped Ada sober up from the haze. Each holiday of Light had been slightly different, depending on who’d been hosting it. Just then, Ada had realised she had yet to make that holiday special. As subtle as she could be with casting spells, as a spells mistress, Ada swiftly moved her fingers behind her back, casting a wordless spell on the fire. The only one who’d noticed was Hecate. The attention of others was becoming too much for her and Ada was her anchor. Just looking at Ada had calming effects on the witch.

As the spell settled, those in love were able to smell a unique scent coming from the fire, a scent of burning incense different to the plain scent of burning wood the other ones smelt, and different for each pair, with one or more ingredients being specifically chosen to represent either of them. It was a mind trick, a spell created by Ada to make the celebrations more colourful for everyone. She’d wondered if Hecate could smell what she had. She’d absentmindedly started listing the scents she could recognise, her voice barely a whisper on her lips. “Lavender, mustard seed, wood… No, bark. Bindweed.”

Hecate’s eyes widened as Ada had said it. It had been quite a particular mix of scents and she’d doubted anyone else would smell all of them in this combination. Ada must have realised as well, as the frown had formed on her forehead. Hecate had still been denying herself the truth and thought these scents to be common, telling herself the last scents were the ones that truly mattered, revealed who had been smelling the same thing. “Thistle.”

Ada’s eyes widened. She gulped audibly and moved slightly closer to the other woman. “Hecate?” Her eyebrows had wandered up her forehead, her voice cracked at disbelief. “You can’t possibly smell…” She paused, recognising the last scent, thinking it would be so much different to whatever Hecate had been sensing. Ada started moving away from Hecate and preparing herself to stand up to announce another activity. Before she could rise to her feet, she’d decided to reveal the last scent. Unbeknownst of her intention, Hecate had done the same.

“Blooming roses,”

“Roses’ bloom,”

Their expressions had turned into comical shock, before either of them could flash the other one a sweet smile. Their little moment of shared intimacy was over, as everyone, who was gathered around the fire, had been keeping better watch of the time. Both witches had to take a hint, with Ada clasping her hands together and making the witches and wizards around them face her. Without further ado, she’d announced the search for the fern flower, with the reward of eternal love of their companion, should they find it.

The couples didn’t need much encouragement to disappear into the woods, leaving Hecate and Ada in the meadow, not sure how to proceed. While Ada had been thinking of one thing, Hecate had been considering something else. Ada had a blush spread over her cheeks and chest at a single thought, while Hecate’s face had been in full focus. They’d look at one another, Ada with shy lust and Hecate with pure excitement. “We should join the others, the fern flower has not been seen in over half a millenium, I realise that. However, if the other participants had noticed you taking part in this foolish game, they might be more determined to compete rather than hide away in the bushes with their loved ones. They wouldn’t risk getting caught by the mistress of the ceremony.” Hecate added with a smirk.

While it had made Ada feel a little less nervous, it had also made her question her common sense. Barely a few moments earlier she had created a rather undignified scenario in her mind, which Hecate had unknowingly crushed with her words, leaving Ada with guilt that had started to settle. Worried that Hecate could have noticed that, she bowed her head slightly, put on her most jolly smile and turned on her heel. “Shall we?” She asked, waiting for Hecate to follow in her footsteps.

Her sulking was blown away the moment Hecate put her hand on Ada’s arm. Ada started wondering if the pleasant burning sensation was the result of Hecate warming up by the fire or if there was something more to it. Hecate noticed there was a shift in Ada’s aura, but she wasn’t trying to figure it out, as there would be time for that later, in more suitable surroundings. Instead, Hecate twirled her fingers in order to produce a small parchment with neatly written instructions. She cleared her throat and lifted her hand to acquaint Ada with her findings. Almost instantly, Ada reached for the piece of paper and hovered her hand just below it. “Is this…?”

Hecate’s eyes had a glint of excitement, as she started explaining, she looked into empty space. “My interest in horticulture is no secret, I have been simply trying to broaden my horizons, when I’d been handed the book I thought it to be merely a children’s story.” Ada furrowed her brow and looked up at Hecate, partially confused and partially in awe. “Further examination lead me to believe it was more than that, concealed with a mythical coat, was a list of the most rare plants the magical world has ever seen. It’s such an interesting subject, Ada. I’ve only been able to locate a few, but neither of those have been declared extinct. Finding the fern flower would make an extraordinary discovery.”

Hecate finally looked at Ada and blushed, fearing she might have overshared, but research was something she was very passionate about and she couldn’t stop herself from talking about it. As the silence spread around the women, Hecate realised Ada wasn’t going to ridicule her for her sudden burst of excitement. “I would be more than happy to help you in your search.” Ada added, the corners of her lips twitched upwards. Hecate mimicked Ada and looked down, bringing her eyes to the piece of paper and pretending to read over the instructions she already knew by heart.

Ada stepped forward, waiting for Hecate to collect herself and join her. “At first I thought this part of the celebrations to be unnecessary,” Ada said with full honesty, as her mind went where it shouldn’t much later. “But rummaging around the woods with you sounds much better than sitting by the fire and waiting for drunk a Agatha to fall into it…” Hecate followed up and vanished the note, standing in close proximity to Ada again.

“On a second thought, it would have made an interesting spectacle.” Ada turned to face her fully and looked up, pursing her lips, nearly prompting Hecate to apologise for her bold remark, when Ada shrieked with laughter, baffling Hecate at first, but she couldn’t hold back her own laughter for too long. “I didn’t offend you…?” Hecate added as they had both calmed down slightly.

Ada shook her head and wrapped both of her hands around Hecate’s arm, holding onto her as her cackle died down completely. In response, Hecate covered Ada’s hands with her own. “Not at all, my dear.” She sighed and leaned her head against Hecate’s shoulder as they walked through the woods, fast enough to walk away from the clearing, but slowly enough to not trip against widely spread tree roots. They wandered together in content silence, until Hecate had become aware of something and stopped abruptly, making Ada pull her arm, before she’d caught on. “What’s the matter?”

Hecate bit on her lip, ashamed to admit her mistake. Her voice had suddenly become quiet and trembling. “I wasn’t paying attention to the instructions. We have come so far for nothing. I apologise...” Hecate said with regret and untangled herself from Ada’s grasp. She backed away from the other witch and lowered her hands to rub the pads of her fingers together. The dark forest was illuminated by the moon enough for Ada to notice, she frowned in concern.

“Oh, Hecate, don’t say that.” Ada came closer, enough to give Hecate space if she was going to turn back to the clearing, but enough to reassure her she wasn’t at all upset, nor disappointed. “I have enjoyed our stroll simply because you were by my side.” She offered Hecate a small smile. “The sky is so beautifully clear, don’t you agree?” She received a small nod in response. “Now, tell me what time it is.” She said with a slightly quirked eyebrow. She knew the witch would answer right away.

“The Moon indicates midnight will strike soon.” Ada’s smile widened in satisfaction, as she managed to distract Hecate enough to make her stop rubbing her fingers together. Seeing Ada’s expression, Hecate solved what Ada was hinting. “We have approximately fifteen minutes before the search becomes futile.” She waved her hand rapidly, grateful Ada was far enough to not get struck by it and summoned the parchment once more. She needed to make sure she wouldn’t miss a thing, as she never went by half measures. Ada haltingly moved closer, enough to peak at the notes, it was too dark for her liking. “Allow me.” Hecate muttered, as she had already known the words written on the page as well as the back of her hand, she was merely following the shapes of the letters with her eyes to not miss anything. “We need to be far from the clearing, with moonlight leading us deep into the woods. We must hear nothing but the peaceful sound of the night.”

Ada hummed, “I’m sure we must have passed someone on our way here, but that was long ago.” She was wondering if Hecate knew what she was talking about, as she didn’t fancy recalling the awkward memory. She could see Hecate nodding, before she had closed her eyes to have better understanding of the sounds around them. At first, she sensed her heart pounding rapidly, but it wasn’t what she was looking for. She focused on her surroundings and felt a faint gust of wind against her skin. She could almost tell there wasn’t a living being in earshot, except for Hecate, who was breathing deeply. Ada smiled to herself. “I’d say we’re on the right path.”

Hecate opened her eyes she had previously closed, just like Ada. “Right.” She glanced at the other woman, aware that they were the only witches within five miles radius at least. They had shared plenty of moments alone, but someone was always on the other side of the castle. Hecate took the lead and Ada followed her happily. The younger witch cleared her throat, as if she wanted to say something, but she had to stop before she started, as the moonlight had disappeared and the forest submerged into darkness. She gasped, fearing she’d lost Ada, as she couldn’t hear the other woman’s steps. “Ada?” She whispered, her mind flooded with worry.

She heard no response and waved her fingers to cast a spell producing light, but nothing happened. At first, she thought she wasn’t focused enough for it to take effect and tried a different approach. She attempted a verbal spell, which turned out just the same as the previous one. She recited the incantation two, three times, before she’d called for Ada once again. She buried her face in her hands and breathed deeply to calm her nerves. She managed to clear her mind enough to start relying on other senses. She turned around to follow her previous path, to see if Ada had simply stayed behind, but there was no sign of her until she’d reached the well lit part of the forest.

Ada was glowing. Hecate knew it was light reflecting off her hair, but in her mind, Ada was her angel, not that she had believed in such creatures. Hecate approached her and Ada turned to face her, as if instinctively, as if she could sense Hecate's presence; only then Hecate allowed herself to sigh of relief. Ada surged forward, stopping mere inches in front of the taller witch. “I thought I'd lost you.” Whispered Hecate and looked into Ada's eyes to try and determine if the witch was alright.

Ada seemed to have guessed what was going on in Hecate's mind and gave her a smile of reassurance.  “I can't see as well as you in this light, Hecate. I thought I was behind you.” Search of the fern flower forgotten, both witches moved forward, almost simultaneously, reaching out towards each other. With their bodies pressed together, nearly seamlessly, they wrapped their arms around one another in a firm embrace. “I'm glad we had found each other.” Ada added, before she cupped Hecate's cheek. Her touch was so gentle, as if Hecate was as fragile as a rose petal. Hecate leaned into her hand and closed her eyes for a brief moment.

When she opened her eyes, Ada was much closer than she was earlier. Hecate couldn't help but smile, as Ada's pupils dilated. She could feel her breath on her lips and before she had a chance to change her mind, she leaned forward and her lips brushed Ada's. It was feather light but it was enough to warm their hearts. They stood still for a moment, until they leaned away, enough to look into each other's eyes. Ada nodded and Hecate mimicked her, before they leaned in for another kiss. It felt like nothing they had imagined. It was slow, as they were trying to work out a rhythm. Ada buried her hands in Hecate's hair and Hecate let out a sigh, her own hands were holding onto Ada’s shoulders as if her life depended on it. It wasn't perfect, it was unsynchronised and their teeth collided more than once, but it was filled with emotion and neither of them cared.

They felt a flush of heat and dismissed it as their desire flew through their veins. The heat kept growing inside them, until they parted, as they thought the intensity of their kiss was too much at once. Had it not been for them having their eyes closed during the kiss, they would have noticed a blinding beam of light surrounding them. Hecate closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against Ada's. She was overjoyed as she wasn't pushed away, as a sense of insecurity was still on the back of her mind. “Ada,” she breathed. There would be time to discuss their closeness later. “This light can't have its source in the reflection of the Moon.”

Ada hummed. She lowered her arms and wrapped them securely around Hecate's waist. “Why don't we try a dimming spell? If we cast it together, we might have a better result.” Hecate tried to ignore how shallow was Ada's breath, how throaty was her whisper. She smiled to herself and pulled herself away, enough to be able to cast a spell with success, but still being in Ada's space. Ada started chanting without much success, as Hecate couldn't decide on the spell and didn't say a word. She felt giddy from the kiss and only Ada's soft chuckle awoke her from the haze. “Let's try again.” She counted to three and they recited the spell. They repeated it over and over again, stopping when the light wasn't irritating their eyes as much.

They turned to search for the source of light and couldn't believe their eyes. Ada opened her mouth in surprise and Hecate's eyes widened. “Bloody hell.” It wasn't often that Ada heard Hecate cursing, but in that instance it was more than justified. Somehow, their hands found each other and they tangled their fingers together, as they approached tall bushes of fern. What they saw before their eyes, was a single flower, shining with a golden light so powerful, Ada and Hecate's entire coven didn't possess that much power. They looked into each other's eyes with confused expressions. “It can't be…”

“Oh, but it is.” Ada bit her lip as thousands of images were flashing through her mind. Earlier that day, when she had asked Hecate to join them as a co-host of the ceremony, she hadn't anticipated what had been waiting for them. She needed to process it, but right then, something else was her main focus. “It was your dream, my dear, now it's right in front of you.” She stated happily, as she herself dreamt about it. There were many prophecies about the flower, about its great power and what it meant for those who found it, but in known history no one had ever achieved it. It was uncharted territory for them, just like many other things they had gone through together that night.

Ada knew what was going on inside Hecate's mind. The Potions Mistress in her needed to examine their treasure. “I'm going to make an attempt of extracting the flower.” It was an opportunity of a lifetime and Hecate couldn't let it flee. They untangled their hands and Hecate made a swift move of her fingers, as she magically removed the flower from the stem, carefully, not to tear the receptacle nor the sepal. She feared the flower would have lost its power but it was still shining brightly.

Hecate enchanted the flower to float in the air and Ada constructed a protective bubble to keep it away from damage and decay, as she wanted to preserve it as well as she was able. Satisfied with their handiwork, the witches made the bubble fly up front as their guiding light and finally looked at each other. “This is spectacular.” Ada simply commented. As much as either of them had wanted it, as much as the atmosphere was in favour of it, they didn't succumb to their desire that was still building up inside them. They had just about enough self restraint to be able to walk arm in arm towards the clearing. “Do you reckon we should walk it towards the castle?”

Hecate seemed to be pulled out from a thought. “I believe that would be the best option. We have no way of knowing how it would react to transference.” They walked in silence, delighted at the shift in their relationship and not wanting to ruin the moment before they would have to talk it through. They enjoyed their alone time for just a fraction of time before they heard some voices in the distance.

They must had been close to the fire, when the bubble burst and the flower disappeared into thin air. It startled both witches and at first Ada was upset when Hecate let go of her arm but when she saw her trying to summon their lost treasure, over and over again, she simply put her hand on the small of her back and waited for her to stop. “Hecate, it's gone.” She tried but she knew it wasn't as simple as that. Hecate needed a moment to calm down before she was ready to face Ada again. The sun was rising above the horizon and the darkness was no more. Dark circles were visible under their eyes. Ada reached out for Hecate's hands and brought them to her lips, giving each hand a butterfly kiss. “We had no way of knowing, I'm sorry.”

Ada was genuine in her regret, but it was only a fraction of what Hecate felt. She had her eyes set on the most powerful of mythical phenomenon and it had vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She was touched at Ada's gesture and as disappointed as she was about the lost fern flower, it didn't feel like an absolute failure. She looked at Ada and smiled tiredly. Ada was clearly confused and frowned. “It's alright, Ada. I had seen enough of it to add a realistic sketch into my grimoire.” Ada still wasn't convinced. “Perhaps the flower is lost, but we had truly found one another tonight.” Ada's eyes watered. Their weariness was making itself present and they had crossed many lines that night, enough to pull their bodies like a magnet in an embrace. The shining flower was exquisite, but for the both of them, they were each other's real treasures.


End file.
